Some of the wild flowers you can find on the Devon wildlife farm trail at Huxtable Farm B&B, West Buckland, situated between Barnstaple & South Molton, near Exmoor, North Devon.
Thistle
Water Lily
Red dead nettle
Meadow saxifrage
Iris
Honeysuckle
Hop Trefoil
Groundsel
Elderflower
Cow parsley
Common hemp nettle
Clover
Birds foot trefoil
Charlock
Wild flower ?
The ‘Rose’ is ‘Gardeners’ World Golden Jubilee Plant’ – An easy choice!
Not only is there a great variety, they are beautiful, many have delicious scents and are used to celebrate lots of occasions.
RHS Rosemoor Rose Festival has 2000 roses on display now 17th June – 30th July – The largest rose gardens in the South West. Pick up your free Rose Trail Garden Map when you get there.
Here are a few of the roses (two are not rose flowers can you spot them?) found at Huxtable Farm B&B, situated between Barnstaple & South Molton, near West Buckland, Devon, offering quality farmhouse B&B accommodation, within half an hours drive to RHS Rosemoor and a variety of beautiful North Devon Gardens.
Roses
Lupins and Roses at Huxtable Farm B&B, Devon, Barnstaple
June – With the longest day of the year approaching (21st June) with bright fresh morning and balmy evenings, we’re grateful for the long days as there is so much to do on the farm at this time of year, from making hay & silage for winter feed, cutting the lawns & weeding the garden to picking fruit.
The rhubarb, gooseberries & elderflowers are lovely this year giving us plenty of fresh produce for the breakfast table; honeyed rhubarb and homemade gooseberry & elderflower jam (a favourite with everyone).
– The Lupins and Roses are just coming into bloom, which reminds me to tell you to visit RHS Rosemoor to see their beautiful rose gardens during their Rose Festival June 17 – 30th July.
June is a great time to visit the beautiful gardens, National Trust properties, historic houses, harbours and market towns of North Devon & Exmoor or enjoy a stroll away from it all on Exmoor along the side of a river (We’ll share with you some special places to visit!).
Devon Cream Tea welcome
With National Cream Tea Day on the 30th June, in Devon we like to put the cream on the scone and the jam on top of the cream. You can enjoy a Devon Cream Tea welcome any time of year at Huxtable Farm B&B
There’s so much going on in North Devon during June here are a few thing taking place over the next few weeks: –
What’s on at RHS Rosemoor – Rose Festival June 17 – 30th July
National Trust Arlington Court – What’s on during June – Meet the gardener, garden Trail, garden talk
South Molton Vintage Rally 3rd – 4th June
South Molton Olde English Fayre 9th- 13th June
17th June 2017 – Point to Point at Umberleigh.
16th, 17th & 18th June 2017 – Gold Coast Ocean Festival, Woolacombe & Croyde
Getting active during your stay in North Devon
Beaches of North Devon
Point to point horse racing, North Devon
Shearing Huxtable Farm’s Jacob sheep, Devon
– The Jacob sheep seem pleased in this warm weather to have been shorn today, 31st May and we now have lots of beautifully soft Jacob & Jacob x Texel fleeces for spinners & felters to purchase.
French Toulouse Gosling hatched at Huxtable Farm B&B, Devon near Exmoor
Love this time of year, the trees now have leaves, the spring flowers are amazing, the swallows are back and young animals are finding their feet!
Some of the goose eggs we obtained from The Black Venus Inn Challacombe, Exmoor have hatched – A great Inn to have a meal at whilst staying at Huxtable Farm B&B
Bo – Bottle fed tame lamb
This years tame orphan lambs (‘Baa-baa’ and ‘Bo’) are always keen to say ‘Baa’ to everyone and are waiting to be bottle feed their milk. All the other lambs & ewes are looking good in the fields too.
Baa Baa enjoying some company 🙂
There is so much to look forward to in June;-
The Jacob sheep will be shorn and we’ll have lots of beautifully soft Jacob & Jacob cross Texel fleeces for spinners & felters to purchase.
June is a great time to visit the beautiful gardens, National Trust properties, historic houses, harbours and market towns of North Devon & Exmoor or enjoy a stroll away from it all on Exmoor along the side of a river (We’ll share with you some special places to visit!).
Devon Cream Tea Welcome
With National Cream Tea Day on the 30th June, in Devon we like to put the cream on the scone and the jam on top of the cream. You can enjoy a Cream Tea welcome any time of year at Huxtable Farm B&B
Here are a few links to things that are taking place during June to put in your diary (18th June Fathers Day): –
RHS Rosemoor – Rose Festival June 17th June – 30th July
RHS Rosemoor – In the Night Garden Trail 1st May – 30th June
National Trust Arlington Court events
Getting active during your stay in North Devon
Beaches of North Devon
3rd &4th June Antiques & Vintage Home Show, Westpoint Arena, Exeter
3rd & 4th June 2017 – South Molton Vintage Rally
17th June 2017 – Point to Point at Umberleigh.
8th – 12th June – South Molton Olde English Fayre.
16th, 17th & 18th June 2017 – Gold Coast Ocean Festival, Woolacombe & Croyde (Kaiser Chiefs)
Clovelly and events taking place at Clovelly during 2017 e.g Clovelly Seaweed Festival 4th June
Gardens of North Devon
RHS Rosemoor Roses in June
Pink Campions
Apple Blossom
wild-flower
Foxglove
Yellow pimpernel
wild-flower
Ribwort
Corn Spurry
Hawthorn Blossom
Scarlet Pimpernel
Greater Stitchwort
Mose flowers
Thistle
Some of the wild flowers found around Huxtable Farm B&B during the month of May.
Most are named the few that are named ‘wild flower’ I would appreciate your input.
I know one is regarded as a weed but I understand that ‘a weed is a plant in the wrong place’ however these flowers look great on the farm!
Wild strawberry flower
cuckooflower and buttercups
Speedwells
Butterfly & Bluebells
Swallows at Huxtable Farm B&B
May – The woodland has this years fresh new leaves, the days are getting warmer & longer, the swallows are back and the bluebells are looking glorious–
Lambing has been good and the lambs are growing well in the fields
Please click HERE to view other video’s taken at Huxtable Farm B&B.
rhubarb in garden
We’ve just enjoyed this years first rhubarb at breakfast and soon I’ll be able to plant out the various seedlings from the greenhouse too. With so much to do in the garden at this time of year it’s always great to have a break and visit RHS Rosemoor Gardens and see what the experts are doing and get inspiration from the other glorious Gardens of North Devon; Castle Hill Gardens (just down the road from Huxtable Farm) is looking good this month with it’s camellias in flower. Marwood Hill Garden with it’s beautiful wisteria archway.
Walking in North Devon during May is very popular staying over night at Huxtable Farm B&B whilst walking the Macmillan Way West or Tarka Trail, both passing the entrance to Huxtable Farm – We always enjoying hearing about everyone’s adventures! Click here for information on walking & cycling in North Devon.
Treasue Trail at Huxtable Farm B&B, North Devon
If you enjoy a walk in the countryside, Huxtable Farm’s Devon Wildlife farm trail has a variety beautiful wild flowers and foliage to enjoy in its variety of habitats; woodland, pasture, pond, bracken slope and hedges. To make it even more interesting we now have a ‘Treasure Trail’ for you to enjoy!
Events taking place during May;
The Devon County Show, takes place this month on the 18th, 19th & 20th May, near Exeter. With something for everyone from prize winning animals, new vehicles & machinery to beautiful crafts & scrumptious food & drink, this is a great day out for all.
RHS Rosemoor Gardens Plant Heritage Spring Fair 13 – 14th May, Devon Chilli Fiesta 20-21st May & future event – RHS Rosemoor’s first Flower Show 18th -20th August.
21st May 4th & 11th June 2017 – Point to Point at Bratton Down.
Tomatoes, vines & sunflowers in greenhouse
Fun filled drop in craft and ranger days at National Trust Arlington Court
Bee Keeping experience days at Quince Honey Farm 11th & 13th May
Meet Marshall from Paw Patrol at The Milky Way Adventure Park 28th May
Meet Rex the T-Rex and his baby dinosaurs at The Big Sheep Adventure Park 28th May
In June you can look forward to;
The South Molton Vintage Rally: 3rd & 4th June : Cars, motorcycles, steam engines, crafts, & demonstrations of rural skills.
Clovelly Seaweed Festival, 4th June : Promoting seaweed for its immense health & nutritional benefits
or just come and enjoy panoramic views from Huxtable Farm B&B!
Enjoying the view South towards Dartmoor
Enjoying the children’s play area
It lovely to see the smiles on children’s faces as they play in the new children’s play area, swings, sandpit and wendy house adding to the games room (table football, mini snooker table & table tennis table)
Children’s play area
Build a den in the woods
There’s so many FREE things to see and do around the farm, in addition paid things to do within the local area
Treasure Trail at Huxtable farm B&B, near South Molton
Bottle feeding orphan tame lambs
Bench with a panoramic view of North Devon
Enjoying the view South towards Dartmoor
April – Lambs, primroses and Easter chicks
Spring flowers at Huxtable Farm
The spring garden is looking so colourful with bright sunshine yellow daffodils and primroses (Devon’s County Flower), blue grape hyacinths and beautiful pink camellias.
This is my favourite time of year; the birds are singing, the ewes have started #lambing (the Jacob lambs are so adorable) and we have a few broody hens sitting on eggs and some eggs in the incubator due to hatch on #Easter day
With Easter (16th April) approaching here are a few event’s occurring near to Huxtable Farm Bed and Breakfast (click on this link), in North Devon.
Not only is there so much to see and do on and around the farm, there are so many #Easter #Egg hunts to look forward to at all the attractions in the area; Quince Honey Farm, The Big Sheep, The Milky Way, NT Arlington Court, RHS Rosemoor, Hartland Abbey and find the Easter chicks at Clovelly!
Hawthorn blossom
Other events this March in the area include;
RHS Rosemoor Easter Lindt Gold Bunny Hunt (1st -17th April) & Easter crafts
Easter fun at National Trust Arlington Court & Cadburys Easter Eggs Hunt (14-17Th April)
April at Huxtable Farm B&B, Devon, Exmoor near Barnstaple and South Molton March at Huxtable Farm B&B, Devon, Exmoor near Barnstaple and South Molton
Running across countryside field
Leveret baby hare at Huxtable farm B&B, Barnstaple
I can’t believe it’s been six years since I hand reared this beautiful hare. I hope it’s him I see on the farm occasionally because we reared him and released him back into the wild once he was acclimatised to feeding himself.
He was found, as a leveret, under some branches Antony was about burn. Having researched how to rear a hare on the internet I read that they can be fed ewes milk. Our ewes were lambing at the time so an extra bit of ewes milk was warmed up when feeding the orphan tame lambs, he took to the bottle well!
Leveret drinking at Huxtable Farm B&B, Devon
Known as the fastest mammal in the UK, the Brown Hare is capable of reaching speeds up to 45mph (72kph), making them able to outrun a predator.
A hare can be distinguished from their close relative the rabbit, by their distinctive long ears with black tips, powerful long hind legs and orange iris in contrast to rabbits eyes which are almost black.
The boxing behaviour that can be seen during March is usually female hares fending off amorous males.
The brown hare used to be a common sight in the British countryside but the population has declined since 1960 , due sadly to various reason such as changes in agricultural practices & traffic deaths.
Hare in field at Huxtable Farm B&B, West Buckland, Barnstaple Devon,
Hare at Huxtable Farm B&B Devon
